What does it mean word for word?
Literally, gustar means 'to be pleasing to' rather than 'to like'.
Which one should you use?
While gustar means to like, encantar is used to express that you love something and it follows the same grammatical structure of being 'pleasing to' the subject.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the verb means 'to be pleasing to', you use indirect object pronouns like me, te, le, nos, os and les to indicate who is being pleased. The verb is conjugated based on the thing being liked, not the person who likes it. If you like one thing, use the singular form gusta and if you like multiple things, use the plural form gustan.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡusˈtaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use direct object pronouns and the subject 'yo' to say 'I like' (for example, Yo gusto el chocolate). Instead, you should use the correct indirect object construction, such as Me gusta…
Did you know?
- If you tell someone Me gustas in Spanish, it is often interpreted as a romantic or sexual attraction rather than a platonic liking.
- The phrase caer bien is used to express that you like someone's personality, but it literally translates to 'to fall well' on you.
- The verb encantar comes from the word for 'chanting' or 'casting a spell', implying that the thing you love has enchanted you.
Examples in context
- Te va a gustar.You're going to like it.Tatoeba #3567391 by hayastan, translation #3345304 by CK
- Solía gustarme el vino.I used to like wine.Tatoeba #13389024 by Lernema, translation #13388526 by rul
- A Tom no le va a gustar.Tom isn't going to like it.Tatoeba #3274019 by Shishir, translation #3253523 by CK
- Me gusta el café.I like coffee.
- Le gusta el libro.He/She likes the book.
- Les gusta viajar.They like to travel.
- Disfruto de la música clásica.I enjoy classical music.
- Me encanta la playa.I love the beach.
- Le encanta jugar al fútbol.He/She loves playing soccer.
- Les encanta el arte contemporáneo.They love contemporary art.
- Me gusta el helado.I like ice cream.
- Te gusta salir de fiesta.You like to party.
- Me mola esta canción.I like this song.
- Me cae bien Ana.I like Anna.
- Os caen bien los profesores.You like the teachers.
- Les caemos bien a nuestros vecinos.Our neighbors like us.
- Me gustan las películasI like movies
- Me gusta mucho leerI really like reading
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking about a new movie.
- Sofía¿Te va a gustar la película, Javier?Are you going to like the movie, Javier?
- JavierSí, creo que me va a gustar.Yes, I think I am going to like it.
- SofíaA mí también me suele gustar este director.I usually like this director too.
- JavierEntonces vamos al cine ahora.Then let's go to the cinema now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gustar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
